Uniform scaling of haptic actuators
AssigneeIntuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
InventorsLawton N. Verner, Hsien-Hsin Liao
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A surgical system is provided comprising: an input device; a first actuator and a second actuator; a controller for controlling the first actuator and the second actuator, the controller configured to apply a first scale factor to a first commanded output and a second commanded output for the first actuator the second actuator, respectively, when the first commanded output would fall outside a first predetermined working range of the first actuator, wherein the first scale factor adjusts the first commanded output to be within the first predetermined working range.
Claims27
A surgical system comprising:
- an input device;
- a first actuator coupled to the input device;
- a second actuator coupled to the input device;
- and
- a controller;
- wherein the input device is capable of receiving input from a user and providing a haptic feedback force to the user;
- wherein the first actuator has a maximum output threshold force and a minimum reliable output level force;
- wherein a working range of the first actuator is defined by an upper limit at or below the maximum output threshold force of the first actuator and a lower limit at or above the minimum reliable output level force of the first actuator;
- wherein the controller determines a first commanded output haptic feedback force for the first actuator to provide to the input device and a second commanded output haptic feedback force for the second actuator to provide to the input device;
- wherein on a condition in which the first commanded output haptic feedback force would fall outside the working range of the first actuator, the controller applies a common first scaling factor to the first commanded output haptic feedback force for the first actuator to provide to the input device and to the second commanded output haptic feedback force for the second actuator to provide to the input device;
- and
- wherein the first scaling factor adjusts the first commanded output haptic feedback force to be within the first predetermined output force working range.
A method for operating a surgical system comprising an input device, and a first actuator and a second actuator coupled to the input device, the method comprising:
- detecting that a first commanded output haptic feedback force for the first actuator would fall outside a first predetermined output force working range for the first actuator;
- and
- providing haptic feedback force at the input device by applying a first scale factor to the first commanded output haptic feedback force by the first actuator and by applying the first scale factor to a second commanded output haptic feedback force by the second actuator;
- wherein the first predetermined output force working range upper limit is equal to or lower than a maximum output force of the first actuator, and a first predetermined output force working range lower limit is greater than or equal to minimum reliable output force level of the first actuator;
- wherein the first scale factor causes the first commanded output haptic feedback force to fall within the first predetermined output force working range;
- wherein the second actuator has a second predetermined output force working range having a second predetermined output force working range upper limit equal to or lower than maximum output force of the second actuator and having a second predetermined output force working range lower limit greater than or equal to a minimum reliable output level of the second actuator;
- and
- wherein the second commanded output haptic feedback force adjusted by the first scale factor falls within the second predetermined output force working range.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.